Colorado June Area Survey Training Workshop (Loveland, Colorado) May 18-19, 2010
NASS held a successful and productive workshop in Loveland, Colorado on May 18-19, 2010 to prepare for the 2010 June Area Survey. The June Area survey is one of the largest annual NASS survey projects. It is designed to account for every acre of land, all agricultural activities, and land uses within segment boundaries. Data collected by NASDA enumerators on behalf of NASS include: crop acreage, grain stocks, livestock inventory (including cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry), land values, cash rents, farm numbers, and value of sales.
Participants in the Colorado workshop included NASS Field Office staff and about 26 NASDA Supervisors and Enumerators. NASDA’s NASS Program Director Charlie Ingram participated in the workshop and on May 17 he went out in the field to conduct Wheat Objective Yield Survey work with Field Supervisor Bette Hertneky. Click here for Charlie's Changing Hats
On the morning of May 18 a meeting was held with NASDA Field Supervisors. NASS staff participating were: Bill Meyer, Director of the NASS Colorado Field Office; Rodger Ott, Deputy Director; and Paul Post, who is the NASS Field Office Agricultural Statistician Survey Group Leader and NASDA Coordinator. Paul opened the Supervisor’s meeting by outlining the June Survey plans and noted that Colorado has 40 new segments this year. Topics discussed included: survey pre-screening, quality control, and assignments/training for new enumerators. Bill Meyer introduced Charlie Ingram to the NASDA Supervisors and led an interactive discussion on a variety of topics. The June Survey training session with enumerators began on the afternoon of May 18 and continued through the next day.
- Field Supervisors meet with Charlie Ingram (l-r) Smiley Shawcraft, Talana Davis, David Abbott, Bonnie Egan, Bette Hertneky, and Kris Crump
- Paul Post welcomed workshop participants and reviewed the agenda. Paul has several titles—he is the Survey Group Leader, Agricultural Statistician for the NASS Field Office and is the NASDA Coordinator.
- NASS Colorado Field Office Director Bill Meyer emphasized the NASS-NASDA partnership. He reiterated why the June Survey and others are important, how the data is used by the agricultural industry in Colorado, and how it will benefit farmers and ranchers.
- Bill has a great motto and philosophy for enumerators who are working the survey: “Be Prepared, Be Patient, Be Sincere—What you do Counts!”
- Rodger Ott, Deputy Director of the NASS Colorado Field Office, explains why the June survey is important, explains the list frame and database, and how the sample land segments are chosen.
- NASDA Field Supervisor David Abbott with Enumerators Debby Locke (l) and Jennifer Blair (standing). They cover the largest territory in the state which is 400 miles across!
- Charlie with NASDA Field Supervisor Bonnie Egan. Bonnie has 45 years of experience working for NASDA.
- Maren Macauley, Agricultural Statistician in the NASS Colorado Field Office, discusses the survey screening and questionnaire
- NASDA Supervisors and Enumerators participate in the workshop
- Workshop participants review the survey questionnaire and materials
- NASDA Field Supervisor Smiley Shawcroft and enumerators Patricia Mackay (middle) and Linda Larson (r)
- NASDA Field Supervisor Kris Crump and Enumerators (l-r) Joe Ownbey, Kris Crump, Joel Kalma, and Gerald Carpenter
During the workshop session, NASDA’s NASS Program Director Charlie Ingram and NASS Colorado Field Office Director Bill Meyer presented a number of awards to NASDA Supervisors and Enumerators for their continued great work.